Chapter 4: The Guardians of Black Joy: Freedom Schools as Spaces of Healing and Protection for Black Children

In this chapter, we highlight the ways in which our intersectional identities as Black women and mothers have shaped our journeys as mother–scholars and our work in the service of all children, but specifically Black children. We begin by describing some of the challenges we know exist for Black children through our own lived experiences and academic literature, but also from first-hand experiences as the mothers of Black children. Next, we highlight central aspects of the CDF Freedom School program and what we have learned through our experiences as site coordinators in one of the most vulnerable communities in a moderately sized city in the northeast and our transition from supporters of Freedom School to both supporters and parents.